Good governance and the delivery of essential services are what should matter to the state’s senior officials, not the accumulation of power for powers’ sake.
Citizens of Iraq know all too well the dangers of allowing the country’s abundant oil and gas resources, and its revenues, to fall under the control of a handful of misguided people in Baghdad.
The country will only thrive on a diet of cooperation and coordination, not on confrontation. That is what the basic law of the land, the Constitution, demands.
LEGAL ISSUES
In terms of oil and gas management, the KRG firmly believes in, and abides by, the letter and spirit of Iraq’s permanent, federal Constitution, which was ratified by the majority of Iraqi people in a nationwide referendum in 2005.
The federal Constitution gives primacy to regional law except in areas listed under the exclusive powers of the federal authorities. Oil and gas are not listed under the exclusive powers of the federal government.
All oil contracts in the Region fall within the KRG oil and gas law, debated and passed by the Kurdistan parliament in 2007 and fully in line with the relevant provisions of the permanent Constitution.
The Constitution not only outlines the current and future roles for federal and regional powers in the management of Iraq’s oil and gas, it endorses past authorities as well.
There were oil and gas contracts with the KRG entered into before the coming into force of the Constitution and providing for future exploration, appraisal, and potentially, production.
Very well written! And top of all above, SOMO has collected the moneys for exporting all oil including the one from KRG territory. Unilateraly, SOMO and alikes do not honor the contracts with the OIC's operating in Kurdistan, but retain the money. Can you understand that many IOC's are alarmed and are calling this behavior for theft or even harder words?
The harsh language used by the Oil ministers in Baghdad may scare small oil companies and now with the consolidation of IOC's in Kurdistan, there is no way that Gazprom, Exxon and alikes will fell down for the rod of Baghdad.
Have you not learnt that capitalism and IOC's have a very good and large memory? They will never forget nor forgive such behavior.